France, Kuwait Partaking in Census Test

Published
7:00 pm EST, Thursday, January 9, 2003

The Census Bureau next year plans to count Americans who live in France, Kuwait and Mexico as a part of a first-ever test to determine whether it can accurately tally U.S. citizens abroad for the 2010 head count.

The only American citizens outside the United States counted in the 2000 census were federal workers, military personnel, and their families.

Those who take part in the test will be asked basic questions like: "How old are you?", "What is your race?" and "Do you rent or own your home?". They would also be asked to provide their address in the United States.

Counting Americans abroad was a principal issue in the legal battle between Utah and North Carolina over congressional reapportionment. The Supreme Court in 2001 declined to hear Utah's complaint that it was deprived of the House seat that went to North Carolina because the Census Bureau failed to tally over 11,000 Mormon missionaries serving overseas.

Federal law requires that the 435 seats in the House be reallocated among the states every 10 years based on population shifts detected in the head count.

Bureau officials have said that next year's test overseas headcount is the first step in trying to resolve numerous problems in this area. Among the concerns is how to find addresses for U.S. citizens living privately abroad, and determining if someone is living outside the United States in the first place.

An estimated 3 million to 6 million American citizens live privately outside the United States.